Fletching jig



Jan. 2, 1962 Filed April 30, 1959 R. H. MARTIN FLETCHING JIG 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wu W ROYCE H. MARTIN BY @(W ATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1962 R. H. MARTIN 3,01

FLETGHING J IG Filed April 30, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 "FIG. 9.

"FIG.8.

INVENTOR ROYCE H. MARTIN wad/ 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,015,483 FLETCHING JIG Royce H. Martin, Box 205, Umatilla, Oreg. Filed Apr. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 809,991 3 Claims. (Cl. 269-38) This invention relates to improvements in fletching jigs of the type set forth in my copending application Serial No. 621,776, filed November 13, 1956 now Patent No. 2,897,860.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a durable arrow positioning assembly including features which render the positive and accurate setting of the arrow shaft in the jig at the'desired angular positions for placing the feathers thereon. In that connection it is proposed to provide novel indexing means all of whose parts are centered about the same axis and maintained in that relation without any substantial effect thereon by use, wear or accidental pressures on the manipulating handle, and which are also held at a selected setting by practical and reliable means.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adding greater stability to the feather clamp supports, thereby assuring accurate setting of the feathers on the shaft.

A further object of the invention is to include means for frictionally holding the sockets of the feather clamp on the clamp support in a manner to prevent woboling, thereby avoiding resulting error in the position of the clamp which might otherwise be due to looseness by the feather clamp and its supporting members.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the jig illustrating the present improvements.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of the jig embodying the improvements.

FIGURE 3 is a right hand end elevation view of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the lefthand end wall hereinafter designated as the second wall carried by the base, and as seen on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5.5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is also an end elevation of the same or second end wall as shown in FIGURE 4, but illustrating a modified form of arrow-positioning assembly.

FIGURE 7 is a detail vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a detail cross-sectional view taken at right angles to FIGURE 7 and as seen substantially on line 88 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is 'a detail perspective view of an end wall 9 showing the manner of adjustably holding the lower end portions of the clamp supporting arms thereon.

FIGURE 10 is a detail elevation of one of the clamp supporting arms with a spring at its upper end engaging in the socket of the feather clamp.

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 showing one of the socket elements of the feather clamp having a spring thereon.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the jig includes a base A, a first upwardly directed end wall 1 and a second upwardly directed end wall 2. The first end wall 1 is provided at its upper end with a notch or ice the like for receiving and supporting one end of the arrow shaft designated generally as B.

The second or lefthand end wall 2 (as viewed in the drawings) is provided with the improved arrow positioning assembly designated generally as C in FIG. 2 and C in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Referring first to the assembly C of FIGS. 4 "and 5, it it will be understood that the ofiset portion 3 of the arm 2 is provided on its inner face 4 with an annular degree scale S (FIG. 1) and whose axis coincides with an opening 5 which receives a shaft 6. The outer face 7 of the wall 3 is provided with a plurality of series of annular concentric keeper depressions 8 whose axes are radially aligned with a related degree mark on the scale S on the inner wall 4. These radial depressions may be arranged in appropriate groupssas seen in FIG. 4, the depressions of each group being related to corresponding degree marks on the scale S. For example, the depressions may begin at 0 and to any desired degree thereafter.

The shaft 6 is provided with a lateral passage 9 for receiving an adjustable arm 10, having on its inner face a groove 11 into which the inner end of screw 16 fits to prevent sidewise movement while its outer face, whose surface is generally flat, is engaged to be set by the inner end of screw 12.

The outer end portion of the selector arm 10 carries spring pressed ball 13 intended to fit into selected depressions 8 and thus hold the shaft 6 at the desired angular setting.

The inner end of the shaft is formed with a socket 14 for concealing a neck-receiving clamp 15. This clamp is of substantially U-shaped formation as will appear from FiG. 8, and its resilient arms are bent inwardly to frictionally engage the arrow shaft. The bottom of the nock clamp may be secured in the shaft independently of the cross pin 16 by a screw 16 whose inner end may extend into the groove 11 at the inside of the arm 10 to prevent sidewise movement.

The outer peripheral portion of the shaft 6 at the inner or scale face of the wall 3 has fixed thereto a hub having a pointer 17 held onto the shaft by cross pin 16. The hub and pointer 17 are movable over the face 4 and the scale S to enable the operator of the jig to select, visually, the proper degree marks on the scale.

After the mock of the arrow is fitted in the clamp 15, the handle portion 6 of the shaft may be rotated through the desired angular distance for feather setting, according to the marks selected on the scale S. As the shaft turns, the ball 13 will be depressed sufiiciently to be forced out of the depression in which it has been resting, and the shaft may be rotated until the ball strikes the next depression corresponding to the selected scale.

In connection with the depressions 8, it will be understood that if the pointer 17 is at zero and it is desired to set the feathers at an angle of it is only necessary to turn the handle portion of the shaft 6 until the ball 13 will come to rest at the 120 marking and subsequently at the 240 marking. By changing the position of the arm in the guideway 9 of the shaft, the spring-pressed ball 13 will describe another annular path which includes a second set of depressions which will stop the shaft every 45 on the scale. As the arm 10 is moved to cause the ball to come closer to the axis of the shaft, it will be understood that the shaft is stopped at points on the scale of diiferent angular distances from those described.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 which illustrate a modified form of assembly, it will be understood that the offset portion 20 is similar in all respects to the offset portion 3,

with respect to .the neck clamp, the pointer 17 and the plate 24 integral with the handle portion 21 of the shaft 6*. This cover portion is formed with an integral radial arm ra provided with a slot or guideway 25 which re-' the block 26 may be moved in the slot 25 upon loosening the set screw 27 to enable the ball 26 to engage one of a series of selected angularly arranged depressions.

Referring now to the improvements in the support arms for the clamp D, reference may be made to FIGURES 7, andll, inclusive.

It will be understood that similar clamp supporting arms 30 and 31 are used in connection with the first and second end walls. A description of one support arm would generally suffice for the other. The lower portion of each supporting arm is provided with a keyway 32 and a longitudinal slot 33 intended to slidably cooperate with a horizon-tally offset key 34 on the end wall. The key 34 is provided with a threaded opening 35 which is intended to receive the shank of a threaded set screw 36. This keyway 32 slides over the key 34 as the shank of the set screw 36 permits and may be fixed in the desired position by turning the set screw home. Below and adjacent each key 34 there is provided an abutment 37. This abutment is provided with scale marks 38 for adjustment with respect to an index mark 39 on the outer face of the lower portion of each arm.

It will of course be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to provide the keyway in an end wall and the offset key on the lower portion of the supporting arm.

In connection with the clamp D it will be understood that the same is provided with funnel type socket members 48 at each end cooperating with the upper end portion of each of the supports.

FlGURES 10 and 11 show an improvement in the feather clamping and guiding means over my earlierv jig, Patent No. 2,897,860.

a it can be seen that the upper portion of arm '30 is round, having a fiat surface on one side. FIGURE 10 shows a spring 41 fixed at the top and running downward, parallel to the fiat surface. At the lower portion the spring bends inward at right angles and runs through the arm. This arrangement permits the socket element 40 of clamp D to fit more loose-1y over the post and spring. The outward pressure of spring 41 pressing against socket 40, FIG. 10, keeps the socket firmly against the round portion of the arm opposite spring 41, assuring perfect alignment of clamp D along a predetermined line of shaft B.

Spring 43, shown in FIGURE 11, is placed inside socket 42 so that it strikes the fiat portion of the upper part of arm 31). It should be noted that with this arrangement,

' the clamp D will fit in only one direction. It can also be seen that neither the springs 41 and 43, sockets 40 and 42 nor arm are fitted with any kind of locking device such as a protrusion on the spring or detents on the arms or in the sockets. This assures easy placement and removal of the clamp by the operator.

I claim:

1. A multi-purpose fietching jig comprising, in combination, first and second end walls disposed upwardly with respect to a horizontal base, the first of said walls having a notch for cradling the medial portion of an arrow shaft, and the second of said walls having an opening and an annular degree scale on the face thereof disposed toward said first Wall, said scale having its axis concentric with said opening, the face of said second wall opposite the scale having a series of annularly disposed depressions related to given degree marks on said scale, each series having a radius of dilferent length and whose axis of rotation coincides with the axis of said opening; and an arrow positioning assembly journalled in the opening of the second wall, said assembly including a shaft having a nook-receiving socket, a radial pointer at the socket end of the shaft cooperating with the said degree scale, an operators handle on the shaft, 2. cover plate on the handle, a radial selector arm on the operators handle and said arm having a slot, and spring means on the selector arm slidable in said slot for engaging a depression corresponding to the position of the pointer in relation to the degree scale.

2. A multi-purpose fietching jig comprising, in com bination, first and second end walls disposed upwardly with respect to a horizontal base, the first of said walls having a notch for cradling the medial portion of an arrow shaft, and the second of said walls having a peripheral recess and also having an opening and an annular degree scale on the face thereof disposed toward said first wall, said scale having its axis concentric with said opening, the face of said second wall opposite the scale having a series of annularly disposed depressions related to given degree marks on the scale, each series having a radius of different length and whose axis of rotation coincides with the axis of said opening; and an arrow positioning assembly journalled in the opening of the second wall and including a shaft having a nook receiving socket, an operators handle on the shaft, a cover plate on the handle and having a flange fitting in said recess on the second wall, said cover plate also having an arm radial to the shaft providing a slot, a block slidable in the slot, and spring means on the block for engaging a depression corresponding to the position of the pointer in relation to the degree scale.

3. A n1ultipurpose fletching jig comprising, in combination, first and second end walls disposed upwardly with respect to a horizontal base, said first and second walls each having a horizontal key on its inner face and including an opening, abutment means also on the inner face of each end wall and spaced below said key, scale marks on said abutment means, clamp guide support arms each provided at their lower ends with a slot and a keyway to engage a related key, a set screw having its shank passing through a related slot to enter its related opening in said endwalls to retain the said arms in a selected position according to a mark on the lower portion of said arms that corresponds to the scale on a related abutment when the arms are shifted laterally on said keys to determine the angle of pitch of the feather in relation to the axis of the arrow shaft, the upper portions of said guide arms being round with one side fiat and having a spring afiixed thereto, said spring disposed on the side opposite said round portion of said arms so as to engage one side of the inner portion of the feather holding clamp having round sockets, thereby forcing the opposite side of said sockets to engage the round portion of said guide arm opposite the spring, whereby, the base of the feather held by said feather holding clamp is held in proper alignment relative to the horizontal axis of the arrow shaft according to the setting of scale marks on said arms in relation to the scale marks on the abutment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,551 Delisle Feb. 13, 1906 845,717 Miller Feb. 26, 1907 1,433,163 Walters Oct; 24, 1922 1,896,536 Belshaw Feb. 7, 1933 2,286,574 Rohde June 16, 1942 2,367,952 Lichtwitz Jan. 23, 1945 2,369,425 Becker Feb. 13, 1945 2,777,338 Thompson Jan. 15, 1957 2,884,968 Bitzenburger May 5, 1959 2,897,860 Martin Aug. 4, 1959 

